Your complete guide to Bram Fischer International Airport (BFN) in Bloemfontein – also widely known as Bloemfontein Airport. Flights, car hire, parking, the airport lounge and everything you need for a smooth trip through the Free State’s main air gateway.
The story behind Bram Fischer International Airport — who Bram Fischer was, why Bloemfontein Airport was renamed, and what it means for travellers today.
Like several South African airports, Bram Fischer International Airport carries a name with real historical weight behind it. Here’s the full story of how Bloemfontein Airport became Bram Fischer International Airport, and what that means for the Free State today.
Civil and military aviation at the site dates back to 1961, when the airport opened to replace the older Tempe airfield. Construction was deliberately sequenced so that the runways were completed before the terminal buildings, allowing the South African Air Force to begin using the site immediately — a dual civil-military arrangement that continues today, with the airport sharing its runways with AFB Bloemspruit, a South African Air Force base.
The airport was initially named J.B.M. Hertzog Airport, after a former South African Prime Minister, before later becoming known simply as Bloemfontein Airport — the name most South Africans of older generations, and most car hire platforms, still default to today. Ahead of South Africa’s hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the airport underwent a significant R46 million upgrade and expansion, modernising the terminal to welcome the increased international attention the tournament brought to South Africa’s host cities.
On 13 December 2012, the airport was officially renamed Bram Fischer International Airport by President Jacob Zuma at a ceremony held at the airport itself.
Bram Fischer (1908–1975) was a South African lawyer and anti-apartheid activist, born into a prominent Afrikaner family in the Free State. Despite his privileged background — his grandfather had served as Prime Minister of the Orange River Colony — Fischer became one of the apartheid government’s most determined legal opponents. He is best known for leading the defence team at the 1963–64 Rivonia Trial, where he defended Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu and their co-accused against charges of sabotage — a trial that could have resulted in the death penalty for the defendants.
Fischer’s own political activities, including his secret membership of the banned South African Communist Party, eventually caught up with him. He was arrested and convicted under apartheid security legislation, sentenced to life imprisonment, and died shortly after being released from prison in 1975, his health having deteriorated severely during his incarceration.
Naming the Free State’s main airport after Fischer placed his legacy at the literal gateway to the province of his birth — a deliberate act of historical recognition for a man who chose justice over the comfort and safety his background could otherwise have guaranteed him.
Both names are in active, legitimate use today:
Bram Fischer International Airport — the official name since December 2012, used by ACSA and in all formal contexts.
Bloemfontein Airport — still extremely widely used informally, and the default listing on most car hire platforms (Avis, Europcar, Booking.com and others all list the airport this way).
BFN — the IATA code, used throughout the aviation industry on bookings, baggage tags and airline schedules. The ICAO code is FABL.
For the purposes of this website, we lead with Bram Fischer International Airport as the correct current name, while making sure to reference Bloemfontein Airport clearly throughout — since that’s still how the majority of travellers, locals and booking platforms refer to it.
IATA code: BFN ICAO code: FABL Location: Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality, Free State, South Africa Distance from city centre: approximately 10–15 km Operator: Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) Shares runways with: AFB Bloemspruit (South African Air Force) Opened: November 1961 World Cup upgrade: R46 million, ahead of 2010 Officially renamed: 13 December 2012
Bloemfontein — known as “The City of Roses” and host of the annual Mangaung Rose Festival each October — holds a genuinely distinctive constitutional role as South Africa’s judicial capital, home to the Supreme Court of Appeal. This makes BFN one of only three capital-city airports in South Africa, alongside Cape Town International (serving the legislative capital) and OR Tambo (serving Johannesburg/Pretoria, the executive capital).
Beyond its judicial role, Bloemfontein offers genuinely worthwhile attractions for visitors: Naval Hill, offering the best view in the city alongside the Franklin Game Reserve, home to giraffes and blue wildebeest within the city itself; the Loch Logan Waterfront, the city’s hub for shopping, dining and entertainment; and the Orchid House, a peaceful spot to see the flowers in bloom, particularly in winter.
FAQ A complete guide to Bram Fischer International Airport | Bloemfontein Airport – airlines, parking, facilities, transport options, charter services, check-in tips and more.
1. What was Bram Fischer Airport called before? It was previously known as Bloemfontein Airport, and before that, J.B.M. Hertzog Airport.
2. Why was Bloemfontein Airport renamed? It was renamed to honour Bram Fischer, a South African lawyer and anti-apartheid activist best known for defending Nelson Mandela at the 1963–64 Rivonia Trial.
3. Who was Bram Fischer? A South African lawyer (1908–1975) who led the defence at the Rivonia Trial, was later convicted under apartheid security legislation for his own political activities, and died shortly after his release from prison.
4. When was Bloemfontein Airport renamed? 13 December 2012, by President Jacob Zuma, at a ceremony held at the airport.
5. Is Bloemfontein Airport the same as Bram Fischer International Airport? Yes, both names refer to exactly the same airport.
6. When did Bram Fischer Airport open? November 1961.
7. Does Bram Fischer Airport share its runways with anyone? Yes, with AFB Bloemspruit, a South African Air Force base.
8. Why is Bloemfontein called the judicial capital? Bloemfontein is home to South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal, giving it a distinctive constitutional role alongside Cape Town (legislative capital) and Pretoria (executive capital, served by OR Tambo).
9. What is Bloemfontein’s nickname? “The City of Roses,” reflecting its annual Mangaung Rose Festival held each October.
10. Who manages Bram Fischer International Airport? Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), the same state entity that operates OR Tambo, Cape Town International and several other major South African airports.
From flight tracking and car hire to parking, the airport lounge and transport into Bloemfontein – bramfischerairport.co.za is your independent guide to the Free State’s main air gateway, also widely known as Bloemfontein Airport.
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